[Help] Gambling: The Unique Addiction?

[Simster]

Nobody forced that person to gamble 23k in 20 minutes, the bookies aren't moral guardians, they provide an optional service. If this person had made a massive profit on their investment would they have moaned about the bookies?

I've been in PaddyPower when a bloke with wads of notes was betting on greyhounds and seeing them bolt up. He must've won 10k just when I was in there, and I'd seen him in there doing the same thing several times before.

A week later I went back and the bloke behind the counter had been sacked. The manager was there doing the job and he explained to me that the staff member had been accepting these huge bets instead of ringing them through, knowing that the punter had a warm source at the track. You can bet your arse that William Hill would have done exactly the same thing.

So they are quick to ensure large bets are NOT taken when the punter knows his onions, yet some clueless addict off the streets is allowed to jizz his money away?

 

[herecomesaregular]

I've been in PaddyPower when a bloke with wads of notes was betting on greyhounds and seeing them bolt up. He must've won 10k just when I was in there, and I'd seen him in there doing the same thing several times before.

A week later I went back and the bloke behind the counter had been sacked. The manager was there doing the job and he explained to me that the staff member had been accepting these huge bets instead of ringing them through, knowing that the punter had a warm source at the track. You can bet your arse that William Hill would have done exactly the same thing.

So they are quick to ensure large bets are NOT taken when the punter knows his onions, yet some clueless addict off the streets is allowed to jizz his money away?

Very much so. However they advertise it it really isn't ever an even playing field. They very much use psychological tricks (even with sound and music) and lures. And as you say, very quick to limit your betting amounts and add restrictions if you seem to know what you are doing rather than simple Mug Betting. I like the chaps that work behind the counter or manage in a shop (they are not on great money). Those stated above who work on algorthms, cons to suck in people, and encourge addiction - they are scum. As for making a charitable donation as some kind of karma, laughable, they should live with their guilt. I'm not bitter as I am still very much up at the bookies but it's been a eye-opener of a journey.

edit - I was originally very much uneasy with Tony Bloom funding the Albion from betting (and the misery it causes) in the early days. However, I have accepted that he has poured his money into the Albion which is a great asset to our community, while also realising he has also made vast amounts from property and taking money nowadays off the bookies rather than being on the side of them.

 

[Pondicherry]

Very much so. However they advertise it it really isn't ever an even playing field. They very much use psychological tricks (even with sound and music) and lures. And as you say, very quick to limit your betting amounts and add restrictions if you seem to know what you are doing rather than simple Mug Betting. I like the chaps that work behind the counter or manage in a shop (they are not on great money). Those stated above who work on algorthms, cons to suck in people, and encourge addiction - they are scum. As for making a charitable donation as some kind of karma, laughable, they should live with their guilt. I'm not bitter as I am still very much up at the bookies but it's been a eye-opener of a journey.

edit - I was originally very much uneasy with Tony Bloom funding the Albion from betting (and the misery it causes) in the early days. However, I have accepted that he has poured his money into the Albion which is a great asset to our community, while also realising he has also made vast amounts from property and taking money nowadays off the bookies rather than being on the side of them.

I agree with your sentiments. However if it wasn't for mug punters and especially addicted mug punters I doubt whether you would have had the opportunity to be up at the bookies as the bookies would not exist. Unfortunately I think we are all part of the problem. For context I enjoy small stakes wagering.

 

[herecomesaregular]

I agree with your sentiments. However if it wasn't for mug punters and especially addicted mug punters I doubt whether you would have had the opportunity to be up at the bookies as the bookies would not exist. Unfortunately I think we are all part of the problem. For context I enjoy small stakes wagering.

Hmm, not sure about that tbf. I've no problem with a bookmaker making a tidy profit. But they make huge profits and show little safeguarding towards their customers. Same as i'm not anti capitalist but I expect Government to protect the people against blatant big business ripoff and explotitation (and not to lay in bed with them). The betting industry regulation is much too lax and in particular the advertising of it that paints it as so "cosy and fun and everyone does it, so you are the oddity if you don't" towards young people.

 

[Cornwallboy]

This thread probably isn't for you.

Why? Because I've dared to say something you disagree with? Do you only want to see posts that you agree with?

 

[Cornwallboy]

I've been in PaddyPower when a bloke with wads of notes was betting on greyhounds and seeing them bolt up. He must've won 10k just when I was in there, and I'd seen him in there doing the same thing several times before.

A week later I went back and the bloke behind the counter had been sacked. The manager was there doing the job and he explained to me that the staff member had been accepting these huge bets instead of ringing them through, knowing that the punter had a warm source at the track. You can bet your arse that William Hill would have done exactly the same thing.

So they are quick to ensure large bets are NOT taken when the punter knows his onions, yet some clueless addict off the streets is allowed to jizz his money away?

Yes. They are a business not a charity and if they think a punter has a 'warm source' (whatever that is) then they have every right to refuse a bet(s). Point I've made is nobody makes you gamble, it is a choice you make.

 

[Cornwallboy]

Hmm, not sure about that tbf. I've no problem with a bookmaker making a tidy profit. But they make huge profits and show little safeguarding towards their customers. Same as i'm not anti capitalist but I expect Government to protect the people against blatant big business ripoff and explotitation (and not to lay in bed with them). The betting industry regulation is much too lax and in particular the advertising of it that paints it as so "cosy and fun and everyone does it, so you are the oddity if you don't" towards young people.

Shouldn't adults to be able to 'safeguard' themselves? I love a punt but I bet what I can afford, I love a drink but I know downing a bottle of red wine before I go to work isn't a good idea. 'Safeguarding' is for primary schoolkids not adults. Whats 'Stan the bookie' supposed to do when someone wants a punt? Make them complete an affordability questionaire? Ask to see a bank statement?

 

[amexer]

When ever gambling crops up it seems many are attracted to a bookie by free bets etc. Would it be a good start to scrap all free bet offers.

 

[herecomesaregular]

Shouldn't adults to be able to 'safeguard' themselves? I love a punt but I bet what I can afford, I love a drink but I know downing a bottle of red wine before I go to work isn't a good idea. 'Safeguarding' is for primary schoolkids not adults. Whats 'Stan the bookie' supposed to do when someone wants a punt? Make them complete an affordability questionaire? Ask to see a bank statement?

If you say something like that then.... well, your ignorance is staggering.

 

[Mustafa II]

Gambling should be completely banned in my opinion.

Contributes virtually nothing to society, except maybe a few thousand jobs, but especially when you consider that it has been found that it costs the economy more through the damage it causes than what it brings in.

 

[Simster]

Shouldn't adults to be able to 'safeguard' themselves? I love a punt but I bet what I can afford, I love a drink but I know downing a bottle of red wine before I go to work isn't a good idea. 'Safeguarding' is for primary schoolkids not adults. Whats 'Stan the bookie' supposed to do when someone wants a punt? Make them complete an affordability questionaire? Ask to see a bank statement?

Safeguarding is for everyone. You know, like health and safety measures on building sites to prevent firms from cutting corners in order to make up time chasing a bonus and putting their workers lives at risk. Or ensuring plastic surgery is only allowed to go ahead if the patient is in the right condition, rather than taking their money and getting on with it because the surgeon has a spare slot at a time unsafe for the patient.
And in this case, vulnerable idiots who jizz their entire week's earnings on crap bets because the bookie hasn't done anything to protect them.

And yes, you might think it's laughable, primarily because you don't seem to care; but if someone wants to bet more than a set amount per hour then I think providing evidence of funds might actually be quite a good idea.

 

[Simster]

Gambling should be completely banned in my opinion.

Contributes virtually nothing to society, except maybe a few thousand jobs, but especially when you consider that it has been found that it costs the economy more through the damage it causes than what it brings in.

The only reason I disagree with you is that it ought to be perfectly manageable, and therefore by banning it you'd simply drive it underground. To me it's a vice like drinking or smoking. Ok in small doses, but ought to be limited in some way and taxed to pay for the problems it unquestionably causes. But we are so far from that right now, to the extent that Bet365's CEO is one of the highest paid people in the country. She's CEO of a betting company FFS, how can that be right?

 

[Cornwallboy]

If you say something like that then.... well, your ignorance is staggering.

It's not ignorance, it's called living in the real world.

 

[Cornwallboy]

Gambling should be completely banned in my opinion.

Contributes virtually nothing to society, except maybe a few thousand jobs, but especially when you consider that it has been found that it costs the economy more through the damage it causes than what it brings in.

Would you tell Tony Bloom that?

 

[Simster]

It's not ignorance, it's called living in the real world.

No it's ignorance. Living in the real world would be recognising that we ought to do something about the misery that widespread gambling causes.

 

[herecomesaregular]

You won't get rid of betting and nor should we, it's as old as prostitution. I like a gamble as I said, came through a rough patch and realised my errors and my limits, thankfully but learnt to see how easy a black hole it is to fall down. Humans gamble all the time, when driving unsafely, when opening a stocks and shares isa, when not putting on a rubber, 100s of examples. But the gambling industry regulation is wrong in this country as it stands imho at the moment (and with too many MPs taking freebies and money from betting companies aswell).

 

[Cornwallboy]

Safeguarding is for everyone. You know, like health and safety measures on building sites to prevent firms from cutting corners in order to make up time chasing a bonus and putting their workers lives at risk. Or ensuring plastic surgery is only allowed to go ahead if the patient is in the right condition, rather than taking their money and getting on with it because the surgeon has a spare slot at a time unsafe for the patient.
And in this case, vulnerable idiots who jizz their entire week's earnings on crap bets because the bookie hasn't done anything to protect them.

And yes, you might think it's laughable, primarily because you don't seem to care; but if someone wants to bet more than a set amount per hour then I think providing evidence of funds might actually be quite a good idea.

When did I say it's 'laughable'? So you care do you? What do you do in practical terms to show how much you care?

'Providing evidence of funds' how would this work exactly? Say you wanted to bet a tenner on a horse what would constitute evidence of funds? Would ten pound cash be 'evidence' or would you need to show a bank statement to show that's not your only funds? Or perhaps a wage slip?

 

[The Wizard]

Online betting companies have to by law find out source of funds and do lots of legal stuff to make sure gamblers who stake in the thousands are able to do so, that’s not to say that prevents people losing a lot but betting shops should also be doing the same, they aren’t stupid… they know if someone has an issue, sometimes you have to help someone else.

Problem is, a lot of the time they won’t want too, as it pays their wages and/or they aren’t trained to do it.

 

[herecomesaregular]

When did I say it's 'laughable'? So you care do you? What do you do in practical terms to show how much you care?

'Providing evidence of funds' how would this work exactly? Say you wanted to bet a tenner on a horse what would constitute evidence of funds? Would ten pound cash be 'evidence' or would you need to show a bank statement to show that's not your only funds? Or perhaps a wage slip?

I don't think problem betting involves a tenner bet, mate?!

 

[Cornwallboy]

No it's ignorance. Living in the real world would be recognising that we ought to do something about the misery that widespread gambling causes.

People could always stop gambling, surely that would stop the misery? What exactly could we do? Ban it? That would be a disaster for the Albion as I guess a fair chunk of TB's wealth is generated by gambling.